Telemedicine and its impact on cancer management

The latest dramatic progress in the technologies of the computer industry i s likely to increasingly influence the oncologist's daily routine. Besides well known and established telemedical services such as videoconferencing, the most influential trends are the spread of digital hospital infrastructu res with unlimited, secured access to all relevant patient information. Thi s article seeks to summarise the most imminent influences of telemedical de velopments on the future of the oncologist: the effects of telemedical serv ices and electronic infrastructures on clinical workflow and on medical qua lity management. In addition, the history of telemedicine, recent technolog ies and the performance of electronic patient records are described. (C) 20 00 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.